Environmental Management: Laws and Efficiency in Australia

The report examines the existing laws and their capability to efficaciously safeguard the environment from industrial practices in Australia. It also evaluates the efficiency of environmental laws and its appropriateness through SWOT evaluation. The overreaching environmental law for Australia is Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. Based on this at state level for Queensland are Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1994 and Environmental Protection Regulation (2008) which establishes those industrialised and expansion practices that are deemed to be environmentally suitable.

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Environmental Management
Name of Student:
Name of College:
Author’s note:
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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Abstract
The arrangement and schemes that govern prospective and substantial environmental
implications of industries are elaborated and difficult. Starting from global to local level, the
goals, rules, instructions and legal frame has been structured in an organised manner so as to
govern usage and resulting implications on the natural environment. At each degree of
government an intrinsic duty persists to make sure that environmental administration is not only
hypothesized but efficaciously put in to all anthropogenic actions which could have resulted to
environmental implications. It can be observed within Australia that the overreaching control for
environmental associated concerns is multi-layered. This hierarchical control gives rise to
different level of laws in which expansion, commerce and enterprises must maintain acceptance.
In this report existing level and types of laws and their capability to efficaciously safeguard the
environment from industrial practices are re-examined. The overreaching environmental law for
Australia is Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. Based
on this at state level for Queensland are Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1994 and
Environmental Protection Regulation (2008) which establishes those industrialised and
expansion practices that are deemed to be environmentally suitable. Local government is hence
commonly authorised for sanction and governance of these practices as well as handing over
elaborated zones and superimpositions to particular areas of land or commercial practices.
Altogether these levels of laws and control functions to safeguard environment from prospective
damage while sanctioning for anthropogenic expansion.
So as to examine efficiency of environmental laws and its appropriateness various audits were
carried out over businesses that could have prospective vital implications over nearby
environment. SWOT evaluation was also carried on these businesses to examine efficiency of
environmental administration procedure of these businesses and to underline areas which
required amendment. Various inferences were made in context to efficiency of existing laws and
control of power over environmental associated concerns and the manner these have
efficaciously favoured natural environment and human life eventually. The most distressful
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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
finding was that various practices that are significantly harmful for environment health are not
listed as ERA’s and these can have wide implications on environment around the units that were
audited. It was hence inferred that government at all level must act to coordinate jointly so as to
create efficacious environmental preservation.
Conclusion
Thus it can be stated after re-examining the existing laws and the manner in which these are
applied in first place within industries that environmental conformity is difficult and
complicated. In short of strict government directions through the likes of sanctioning it can be
examined as to the effectiveness of self environmental governance and supervision. By carrying
out audit and SWOT evaluation it has been interpreted that those practices that are enlisted as
ERA’s are supervised more strictly with elevated standard of environmental governance
procedures in action as against those who must self govern like Raby Bay Marina Fuel Stations.
Certain oddity is applicable to this like Darwalla Mill and Sirronmet Winery who have effective
approaches for environmental governance. Nonetheless this could be associated to other aspects
like the added procedure of Darwalla that are enlisted as ERA’s as such it would be anticipated
that the overall business manufacture process would be more complacence. In case of Sirromet,
the requirement to encourage eco-tourism uprightness could have been a bestowing element to
reflect their high standards of environmental governance. It was found that a series of practices
that were largely hazarding to environmental well being were not enlisted as ERA’s. This can be
a distressing element for areas like the Redlands City in specifically the Moreton Bay area
because of the environmental worthiness of the region. Currently zoning and overlays are
supporting to safeguard relevant surroundings however in the case of restyled council with a plan
directed on extension, zoning could be impaired. As such it is compulsory that at all levels;
environmental governance is imposed and continually bettered. Moreover with top down goal
establishing proposition industries and regional councils can make sure that they are not only
accommodating with laws but also are making certain that businesses run within a viable
extension pattern so as to stabilise both anthropogenetic achievement with environmental
preservations.
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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Recommendation
As the anthropogenetic activities have resulted to environmental concerns with increase in
difficulties and fierceness it can be recommended that to cope with such condition and stabilise
the concern an agreed, collaborative and concerted approach to environmental management is
necessary. Moreover as environmental preservation is a multidimensional conceptualisation
which more theoretically attempts to benefit at the same time both natural environment and
human life so it is recommended that active involvement from international, state and regional
level of government is essential. It is also recommended that along with various level of
government more engaged stakeholder participation too is needed so as to bring about
efficacious environmental preservation which is capable enough to address the difficulties of
existing distributions of environmental concerns and predicaments.
Appendix
Technical Audit: Boral Concrete
Asphalt Production
Legal requisite Activity
State, local, site
Environmental law significant
to Asphalt Production:
Environmental Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999 (EBPC)
Environmental Protection Act
1994
Environmental Protection
Regulation 2008
BCC Natural Assets Local
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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Law 2003
Queensland Transportation
Activity Aspect Impact Type Actual/
Potential
Freq Comment After
mitigati
on
Vehicle
moveme
nt
Transport
of product
loader
Nearby noise
and wildlife
distraction
Noise/air Actual Higher Maintaining
trucks
regularly
limiting
functions
near
residential/bu
sh area
Avoiding
particular
transportatio
n route near
school/reside
nce area
Reverse
beepers
muted
medium
Stock
piles
Huge
amount of
aggregate
and sand
Aggregate
and sand
moves with
wind
Wash off in
heavy rainfall
Air/water Potential Higher Barricading
tops of stock
piles
Putting
stockpile
bins
underground
to lower risk
of dust flow
Storm water
catchment
Managing
Odour with
fume
condenser
Runoff plant
archetype,
divergence
into dirty and
clean
systems, bio-
retention
basin,
settling pits,
Medium
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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
water/oil
dispensers
Waste Waste
generatio
n from all
activities
Wastewater/
tyre, battery,
waste oil
Air/water/
land
Potential Higher Disposal of
tyre
Reusing
concrete
Bio-retention
basement
Recycling
wastage
Innovative
technology
for reusing
materials,
reducing
water
consumption
medium
Plant
machine
ry
Loading
bay,
dump
bins,
conveyors
, silos,
testing lab
Compress
or,
dumping
Cause of dust
which is
swept in
wind
Odour
Radioactive
material
Flammable
liquid
Nearby noise
and wildlife
distraction
Air/water/
land
Noise
Potential
Actual
Higher
Extre
me
Design of
plant-
covering
loading bas,
dump bins
and
conveyors,
Spraying
water on
plant
Extracting
dust
Radioactive
material
deposited
and removed
Managing
operating
hours
Special
silencer on
machineries
cover on
machineries
Medium
higher
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